The Image of Witte in Early Soviet Historiography: Tarle vs Romanov (on Ye. V. Tarle’s 150th Birthday)

The publication of the memoirs of Count S. Yu. Witte and the tenth anniversary of the overthrow of the monarchy in Russia caused a surge of interest in these events and in the figures of the past in Soviet Russia. Ye. V. Tarle was the first to prepare a small book dedicated to Witte’s diplomatic activity. Despite relying primarily on the memoirs of his character and utilising only a limited number of sources, the author successfully presented an objective and colourful portrait of the count. This portrait was set against the broader context of the diplomatic history of Europe in the early twentieth century, with a particular focus on Russian-German relations. However, in “Witte studies”, B. A. Romanov is usually regarded as a pioneer who began to prepare detailed documentary commentaries on Witte’s memoirs even earlier than Tarle. It appears that the lack of recognition for Tarle’s book, which was intended for a general audience and not for experts like Romanov’s texts, is unjust. The academician demonstrated not only his nuanced understanding of the era but also broke new ground by presenting a personal profile of the most prominent political figure of the Russian Empire of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.